Just days before the election, American politics has a brand new trendlet: Republican senators are noping out of their final debate appearancesy. Sounds like they're all acting from a place of great confidence, for sure. Please add your own filthy jokes about sudden withdrawals in the comments.

Georgia: The Road To Perduetion

After Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff systematically gutted him in their second debate Wednesday, incumbent Sen. David Perdue's campaign announced Perdue would not participate in their final debate, which had been scheduled for Sunday night. Instead, Perdue will bravely face the friendly crowds at a Trump rally scheduled the same night. Perdue spox John Burke told CNN the campaign had little choice, because Ossoff is just so terrible:

As lovely as another debate listening to Jon Ossoff lie to the people of Georgia sounds, Senator Perdue will not be participating in the WSB-TV debate but will instead join the 45th president, Donald J. Trump, for a huge Get-Out-The-Vote rally in Northwest Georgia

Yes, and Perdue would have won, too; he just dropped out of the debate so he wouldn't have to humiliate Ossoff, that's it.

Ossoff is clearly relieved he wouldn't have to face Perdue's highly effective tactic of yelling "China!" and "socialism" every three words:

In the other Georgia Senate race, the final debate, also scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled by Atlanta TV station WSB-TV after two of the top candidates in the field of 20, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D), declined to participate. Neither gave a reason for declining, although the debate had already been postponed once already due to scheduling issues. Republican Rep. Doug Collins, who really would like to be in the Senate, said in a statement he was "disappointed that Kelly lacked the courage to join me in the arena of ideas," presumably jumping up and down in boxing trunks.

That drew a witty riposte from Loeffler spokesperson Stephen Lawson, who said "WSB saving Doug Collins from another debate embarrassment is about the only thing going right for his campaign." Rev. Warnock didn't issue any statement at all, perhaps because he was simply not willing to engage in such an erudite exchange of views.

Kansas: Debate? What Debate?

A scheduled debate last night between Democratic candidate Barbara Bollier and Republican nominee Rep. Roger Marshall turned into a solo interview with Bollier after Marshall failed to show up at Topeka station KSNT. Marshall complained to another station that he had only heard about the KSNT debate the day before, and didn't go because he feared it was a "set up."

That prompted KSNT's anchors to introduce the interview with Bollier by showing, literally, the receipts from an invitation sent to Marshall by certified mail Sept. 29, and a timeline of the station's communication with Marshall, so there.

Gee, that really went well for Marshall.

The Rest Of The Cowards

Politico lists a number of other GOP candidates who shied away from debates, too. In Louisiana, incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy won't debate his Democratic opponent, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), facing a strong challenge from Democrat Mike Espy, refused to debate; a campaign spokesperson for Hyde-Smith said only that voters "care about what Sen. Hyde-Smith is getting done in the job they elected her to do," which is what you say when you don't want to talk about skipping out on a debate.

In Michigan, Democratic incumbent Gary Peters and GOP challenger John James said they wanted to debate, but the campaigns couldn't come to an agreement on scheduling. And in a bit of a surprise in the South Carolina race for the Senate, incumbent Lindsey Graham and Democratic nominee Jaime Harrison actually will debate tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, after several postponements.

So there's your rundown of the pullouts by the jagoffs, the end.

VOTE.

[CNN / Savannah Now / Daily Kos / Politico]

Yr Wonkette is supported entirely by reader donations. Send us money so you can have a place to yell "Debate me, you coward!" to each other in the comments (please don't yell that).

Do your Amazon shopping through this link, because reasons.

How often would you like to donate?

Just once Monthly

Select an amount (USD)

$2$25$5$50$10$100$15$500$20$1000